Portable refrigerator



M. BRoDHElM 2,715,817

Aug. 23, 1955 PORTABLE REIFRIGERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 4, 1952USN li INVENTOR United States Patent Clice PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR MorrisBrodheim, Philadelphia, Pa. Application January 4, 1952, serial No.264,940

1 Claim. (ci. 62-116) This invention relates to refrigerators, and moreparticularly to 'a portable electrically operated refrigerator.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedportable electric refrigerator which -is simple in construction, whichis compact in size, and which is light in Weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved portableelectric refrigerator which may be easily transported from place toplace, which utilizes the food storage space therein in a very eiiicientmanner, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is entirelyselfcontained.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedportable electrical refrigerator which isof relatively small bulk, whichprovides convenient access directly to all the food storage compartmentsthereof, and which employs inexpensive and readily available components.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claim, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an improved portable electricrefrigerator constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the portable electricrefrigerator of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top view of the portable refrigerator of Figures l and 2with the top and front covers in open positions.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical cross sectional View taken on theline 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view taken on the line6--6 of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the electrical wiring connectionsand the conduit connections of the elements of the refrigeratingmechanism employed in the portable refrigerator of Figures 1 to 6.

Referring to the drawings, the refrigerator is designated generally at11 and comprises a generally rectangular housing 12 having front andrear walls 13 and 14, end walls 15 and 16, a bottom wall 17, and a topwall 18 which is hinged at 19 to the rear longitudinal top corner of therear wall 14 so that the wall 18 defines a hinged top cover. The wallsand top cover are suitably insulated to minimize heat ow therethrough,and may include suitable heat insulating material such as cork, mineralwool, or other well known insulating material.

Designated at 20 is a transverse vertical partition wall provided in thehousing 13 defining a food compartment 21 on one side thereof and acompressor compartment 22 on the other side thereof. As shown in Figure3, the compressor compartment 22 is dened between end wall 15 andpartition wall 20, and the food compartment 21 is defined between endwall 16 and partition wall 20.

The food compartment 21 is provided at front wall 13 with a hinged cover23 communicating with the lower portion of the food compartment 21. Thecover 23 is provided with a latch 24 of the type which locks when thecover is moved into closed position and which may be opened by rotatingthe latch handle, shown at 25A Mounted in the opening receiving thecover 23 is a lamp bulb 26 which is connected in series with thedoor-operated switch, of conventional construction, as shown at 27, tothe line wires 28 and 29, as shown in Figure 7. The line wires 28 and 29form part of a conventional line cord extending from the refrigeratorand adapted to be plugged into a convenient electric socket at thelocation where the refrigerator is to be used. As in the case of aconventional refrigerator, when the door 23 is opened, the switch 27closes energizing the lamp 26 and lluminat ing the interior of the foodcompartment of the refrigerator.

Designated at 29 is the evaporator compartment which contains therefrigerator evaporator coils and which is provided with shelves forreceiving trays 30 for making ice cubes. The evaporator unit 29 ismounted on the upper portion of the partition wall 20 against the upperportion of rear wall 14, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Evaporator unit 29is rigidly secured to walls 14 and 20 and is of conventionalconstruction. Mounted on a bracket 31 secured to the partitionv wall 20under the evaporator unit 29 is a removable defrost tray 32 which isemployed for the collection of moisture dripping from the evaporatorunit 29 when the refrigerator is defrosted.

Designated at 33 is a horizontal food supporting tray which is removablymounted on inwardly projecting lugs 34 provided on the inside surfacesof the walls 16 and 14 and on the evaporator unit 29, said lugs 34 beingarranged to support the food tray 33 in a horizontal position. The foodtray 33 is shaped to cover substantially the entire horizontal crosssectional area of the food compartment 21 and is formed to fit aroundthe evaporator unit 29, as illustrated.

Secured to the end wall 16 in the lower portion of the food compartment21 is a clamping bracket 35 provided with opposed resilient arcuateclamping iingers 36, 36 arranged to clampingly receive the neck of amilk bottle 37 therebetween, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. It will befurther apparent from Figure 3 that when thedoor 23 s opened, convenientaccess is provided to the milk bottle, said bottle being locatedadjacent the door opening. Access is provided to the upper portion ofthe food compartment, namely, the food supported on the tray 33 byopening the hinged top wall 18. Access to the freezer trays 30 issimilar provided by opening either the door 23 or the hinged top cover18. For convenience in reaching the lower freezer tray 30, the door 23may be employed, and similarly, to reach the upper tray 30, the hingedtop cover 18 may be opened.

Mounted in the compressor compartment 22 are the components of aconventional mechanical refrigeration system including the compressor35, the accumulator 36, the drier 37 and the blower fan 38. Mounted inthe rear wall 14 is the condenser 39', the blower fan 38 being arrangedto blow air through the condenser 39 to cool the refrigerant, in thewell known manner. Also mounted in the compressor compartment 22 is athermostat control device 39 comprising a thermostatically operatedswitch connected in series between the motor of the compressor 35 andthe line wires 28 and 29 and provided with conventional means foradjusting the temperature at which the switch contacts thereof close.The operating means for the thermostat includes a conventional bulbdevice 40 located adjacent the evaporator unit 29 and connected by aconduit 41 to the thermostat switch unit 39 so as to operate thecontacts thereof. As shown in Figure 7, the evaporator is connected tothe condenser 39 by the capillary refrigerant ow control line 42, thecondenser 39 Patented Aug. 23, 1955 3 being-sin .turnlconnected"bytherconduit 43 to the low pressure side. of-theompressorThe highpressure. port of the compressor is connected by a conduit 44Vthrough the drier 37, the conduit 45 and the accumulator 36e toA the'evaporator *unitij 29j Y therebyl completing; the refrigerationcircuit.The `blower motor-38 iseconnected" in 'parallel withithe 'linewires 28`and'29b`ythe `respectivee lwires 46 andf`47; asshowniin FigureJ/LjWhenitheline wires'28 -and 29f are connected'to an"e1e'ctricsock`et,-the' compressor'SS Lbecomes energized and continues tojopcrf ateuntiliitscircuiteisfopened `byithe opening of-the con@ Vtactsof thethermostat Vunit 39; namelyywhen the -desiredf temperature of'theevaporator unit -29has been reached,

inv accordance'with' the -vsetting o'f' the-thermostat-unitrl Y thelouvered opening 47 so that air may ow through;

l walls'-15"and 16' are the'respective handles 49;'49,enablingV` therefrigerator to be'readily lifted'vand carried.

Whi1e-a lspecific embodiment of animprovedfportable electricrefrigeratorjhas been disclosed iny the'foregoing` description, it willbe understood that vvarious ymodificationswithinthe spiir-t oitheinventionY may occur to-V those' skilled inthe art:Y Therefore, itis-intended'that Y nof-limit`ations beplaced onthe'invention-exceptasde-j' Yfined byv the scope Vofthe-appended claim.

What is claimed is: YIn.a,portab1e,refrigerator,.arectangulaphousinghaving an open top, abottom wall, affront wall, a rear wall, and end walls, a cover hinged onthe housing and closing the open top thereof, arverticaltransversepartition wall inV Y said housing extending the full width and height ofthe interior of the housing and dividing the interior of the housinginto a food compartment and a compressor conipartrnent, anevaporatorassemblysecurecLtompper portions of said partition wall"'aridsaid 'rear walland spaced from saidbottomgwallgandgfrom@theradjaeentiend wall,

a food trayspaced AVupwardlyfrom said bottom wall and t extending`between' said `front and rear'wallsv and "between said adjacentendwalLandsaid'.,evapplator assembly, means supporting said food tray onsaid front and rear walls and on said adjacent end wall and saidevaporator assembly, said front wall having an opening providing laccessto the food compartment, and a door hinged` on said housing andclosingsaidaccess` openingfa-cempressror l assemblyY in saidtcompressopcompartmenty said freapwparlli having a condenseropeningf'intoth'eecomp'ressordcompartmenand acondenser-mountedWithinzsaid "'corxelenseif-l` opening andV connecte'dfto th'e-lcompressorf'-assembly References iCitedfinz the :le (ootitis:patenti; UNITED ,sTArEsTATENTs' prima

